Mbaire Wangui is a Scotland-based style blogger and vlogger and the Face of Kenya, UK ambassador.
Your Instagram bio says that you are a blogger, not a stylist. What is the difference?
A stylist only seeks to enhance other people’s appearances, whereas style blogging is about me knowing my personal style and working with or around it. Stylists can be dramatic or subtle depending on the script or set they need.
Tell us about Face of Kenya…
It is a charity organisation that aims to help those who can’t afford to pay their school fees, especially women and girls who are trying to escape FGM. I help raise funds for that cause. I think it is important for fashion icons to be involved in such activities, but it is everyone’s duty to be conscious of the less fortunate and be willing to create change because we need to build a better future for the next generation.
What clothes do you spend your days in nowadays?
I actually dress up a lot even during this time, but sometimes I wear just my dera! I recently shared on my Instagram page that wearing a dera with jeans underneath makes one look cute. I don’t own a lot of lounge wear but I do own comfortable clothes such as slouchy jeans and culottes which I wear a lot when I’m at home.
Where do you shop, and how do you decide which stores to visit?
I can shop anywhere, although I am cautious about the cost of items. One of my favorite stores, Marks and Spencer, has really nice, unique clothes but most people think they only cater to the older generation. Yet the shop has unique clothing items of very good quality because older people are more meticulous shoppers. When deciding what clothing items to buy, I usually consider timelessness and elegance.
What is the first thing you will do when this pandemic is over?
I will probably go swimming. But then, will swimming pools really be open? Can we maintain social distancing while swimming? Who knows?
